After scrambling to find a network to broadcast Manny Pacquiao's return fight against Jessie Vargas on November 5 when HBO declined to do it, Top Rank Promotions decided it would take matters into its own hands and broadcast the pay-per-view themselves.
Top Rank President Bob Arum announced that his company will showcare the card, which includes four world title bouts. A broadcast team already is in place.
“I explained to HBO that Manny wanted to fight again this year and that November 5 was the only date I can do it (because of his schedule in the Filipino senate),” Arum said. “So I told HBO and they said they won’t carry it. I said, ‘Fine, we’ll do it ourselves.’ It’s a great opportunity for us. It let us ask the question -- why do we need anyone else to do a pay-per-view, just because we have had a partner all these years? We have all the people and brain power and man power to do it ourselves and we don’t have to pay HBO a 7.5 percent fee (from the net proceeds).”
The broadcasters for the event are former ESPN SportsCenter anchor Brian Kenny, who has ample play-by-play experience in boxing, and Stephen A. Smith, co-host of ESPN’s First Take and a longtime boxing fan, will provide color commentary. Other analysts include welterweight contender Timothy Bradley, a Top Rank-promoted fighter who has already fought Pacquiao and Vargas, and Charissa Thompson, co-host of Fox NFL Kickoff , who will host the pay-per-view. Top Rank’s Crystina Poncher will serve as the roving reporter for the pay-per-view.
Pacquiao and Vargas will compete for Vargas' WBO welterweight title. The co-main event will feature Filipino superstar Nonito Donaire defending his WBO super bantamweight championship against Jessie Magdaleno.
Fightful.com will have a live viewing party for the card on November 5.
